On June 18, a group of Open Road Fund staff, advisory committee members, family and friends were invited to a Saint Paul City Council Meeting, where councilmembers passed a resolution honoring Juneteenth 2025 as an annual celebration of Black Liberation in the City of Saint Paul—with a special shoutout to Nexus Community Partners’ Open Road Fund!
The resolution was led by Councilmember and Open Road Fund Advisory Committee Member Cheniqua Johnson, who shared, “Nexus is an organization that truly is Black led, Black operated, Black motivated, and fights continuously for Black liberation.”
Our founder and CEO, Repa Mekha, spoke a bit about Nexus’ work over the past 20 years, building engaged and powerful communities of color through authorship, leadership, ownership and stewardship. He said, “We see this work as a gift from our ancestors—to be able to carry forth work that had begun many, many, many years ago.”
Open Road Fund Director Lavasha Smith gave a moving overview of the program. “We come together today with purpose to affirm the value of Black life, to acknowledge the harm that has been done, and to uplift the collective work being carried forward to build Black economic power, healing, and justice,” Lavasha said. “The Open Road Fund was birthed out of a commitment that emerged in response to the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. That moment forced a national reckoning, and Black communities rose up to demand accountability and justice. While no financial gift can undo the harm or erase centuries of racial violence, investment in Black communities is a necessary and overdue step.”
She continued, “This community fund is one expression of that. By providing $50,000 wealth-building gifts to Black folks across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, it offers a concrete pathway toward repair, prosperity, and self-determined futures. We believe that when paths are blocked, we call on the wisdom of our ancestors to clear the way. Guided by their resilience, we are committed to redistributing resources to descendants of the Transatlantic Slave Trade so that Black power and wealth can grow not just for today, but for generations to come. This work is part of a long, ongoing journey. We are proud to walk it with our partners, community members, and each of you here today, united in the effort to move from intention to impact.”
Many thanks to Councilmember Johnson and the rest of the council. What a way to kick off Juneteenth!
